Discharge device

Abstract

A discharge device for a liquid pharmaceutical medium has a reservoir for storing the medium, a pressure generator for pressurizing the medium, a discharge opening for discharging the medium and a discharge valve with a valve seat and a valve body movable relative to the valve seat between an open position and a closed position. An electrical valve actuator is provided through which a force can be applied to the valve body through an electrical valve control current.

1 . A discharge device for a liquid pharmaceutical medium, said device comprising
 a reservoir for storing the medium,   a pressure generator for pressurizing the medium,   a discharge opening for discharging the medium and   a discharge valve with a valve seat and a valve body which is movable relative to the valve seat between an open position and a closed position,   wherein   an electrical valve actuating device is provided by means of which a force can be applied to the valve body by an electrical valve control current.   
   
   
       2 . The discharge device according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharge valve is constructed in such a way that the valve body can be forced in the direction of its open position by the fluid pressure of the medium in a valve chamber associated with the discharge valve. 
   
   
       3 . The discharge device according to  claim 1 , wherein a valve spring mechanism associated with the discharge valve is provided and by means thereof a spring force can be applied to the valve body in the direction of its closed position. 
   
   
       4 . The discharge device according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrical valve actuating device has
 a valve actuating coil provided for producing a magnetic field through the electrical valve control current and   a counterbody movable relative to the valve actuating coil and to which a force can be applied by means of the magnetic field with respect to the valve actuating coil,   wherein   the counterbody or valve actuating coil is fixed relative to the valve body.   
   
   
       5 . The discharge device according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve actuating device has a valve piezoactuator controllable by the valve control current for applying a force to the valve body. 
   
   
       6 . The discharge device according to  claim 1 , wherein valve measuring device is provided and is constructed for detecting a displacement of the valve body relative to the valve seat. 
   
   
       7 . The discharge device according to  claim 6 , wherein the valve measuring device has a valve measuring coil constructed for detecting a movement of a counterbody provided on the valve body. 
   
   
       8 . The discharge device according to  claim 3 , wherein the valve actuating device is constructed for applying a force to the valve body which is higher than the spring force acting in the direction of the closed position. 
   
   
       9 . The discharge device according to  claim 1 , wherein a flow limiter is provided between pressure generator and discharge valve. 
   
   
       10 . The discharge device according to  claim 1 , by additionally comprising a pressure chamber, associated with the pressure generator and whose volume can be reduced by said pressure generator, a valve chamber associated with the discharge valve, and a flow limiter being located between pressure chamber and valve chamber. 
   
   
       11 . The discharge device according to  claim 1 , additionally comprising a flow limiter having a connecting channel with an at least zonally uniform cross-section. 
   
   
       12 . The discharge device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure generator is constructed as a positive displacement pump with a volume-variable pressure chamber and a pump actuator by means of which it is possible to influence the pressure chamber volume. 
   
   
       13 . The discharge device according to  claim 12 , wherein the pump actuator is constructed as a manually actuatable pump actuator, which has a pump spring means which can be manually tensioned and is constructed in such a way that following release during its relaxation it brings about a volume reduction of the pressure chamber. 
   
   
       14 . The discharge device according to  claim 12 , wherein the pump actuator is constructed as an electrical pump actuator for modifying the pressure chamber volume by means of an electrical pump control current. 
   
   
       15 . The discharge device according to  claim 12 , wherein the electrical pump actuator
 has a pump actuating coil to which a force can be applied for producing a magnetic field through an electrical pump control current and   a counterelement movable relative to the pump actuating coil and to which a force can be applied by means of the magnetic field with respect to the pump actuating coil, and   in which the counterelement or pump actuating coil is so constructed and/or positioned that the pressure chamber volume can be varied through a movement of the counterelement relative to the pump actuating coil.   
   
   
       16 . The discharge device according to  claim 12 , wherein a pump measuring device is provided and constructed for determining the state of the pump actuator. 
   
   
       17 . The discharge device according to  claim 16 , wherein the pump measuring device has a pump measuring coil for determining the position of a component associated with the pump actuator and whose position can be varied for influencing the pressure chamber volume. 
   
   
       18 . The discharge device according to  claim 1 , additionally comprising a pressure sensor provided in a pressure chamber and/or a valve chamber. 
   
   
       19 . The discharge device according to  claim 1 , additionally comprising a flow sensor positioned between a pressure chamber and a valve chamber. 
   
   
       20 . The discharge device according to  claim 1 , additionally comprising a control unit for controlling valve control current and/or a pump control current and/or permitting the evaluation of an output signals of a pump measuring device and/or a valve measuring device. 
   
   
       21 . A method for discharging a liquid pharmaceutical medium by means of a discharge device, comprising a discharge process comprising the steps of:
 a. applying a pressure p 1  within a pressure chamber by a pressure generator to the medium;   b. opening a discharge valve medium discharge purposes and c. closing the discharge valve following an opening time t by an electrical control signal in order to terminate discharge of the medium.   
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein in step b, on reaching a preset opening pressure p 2  lower than the pressure p 1 , the discharge valve is directly opened by said opening pressure p 2 . 
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein steps b and c are repeated until a discharge volume and/or a number of cycles is reached, the repetition preferably taking place with a frequency of at least 20 Hz. 
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the discharge process is preceded by a measuring process for determining forces acting on a valve body of the discharge valve and/or on a piston the pressure generator. 
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the opening time t and the number of cycles are fixed prior to the start of the discharge process. 
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the discharge process is preceded by an initial filling process during which following the opening of the discharge valve by an electrical control signal, air is displaced from a flow path between the pressure chamber and a discharge opening by means of the pressure generator. 
   
   
       27 . A method for manufacturing a discharge device, according to  claim 1 , comprising the step of measuring or determining specific discharge device parameters during manufacture and storing their parameters in a memory of the discharge device. 
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the frequency is at least 100 Hz. 
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the frequency is at least 1000 Hz.